Cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocytes, also called cardiac muscle cells, cardiac myocytes or myocardiocytes, make up the chambers of the heart, the atria and ventricles. Cardiomyocytes are different from the cardiac pacemaker cells that are responsible for the heart beating. However, when cardiomyocytes are cultured in vitro, they will eventually start pulsing.

If cardiomyocytes proliferate, they do so at a very low level. However, this does not mean that they cannot be analyzed using assays developed by Preferred Cell Systems™. Cardiomyocytes, like other tissues exhibiting high metabolic activity, can be assessed using metabolic viability assays.

Preferred Cell Systems™ has developed a cytotoxicity assay platform for cardiotoxicity based on changes in intracellular ATP concentration which, in turn, is directly proportional to cardiomyocyte viability.

For research studies employing heart cells, Preferred Cell Systems™ has developed 3 assays with different endpoints, depending on the plate reader available. These include:

• CardioGlo™ with a bioluminescence endpoint.
• CardioFluor™ with a fluorescence endpoint.
• CardioLight™ with an absorbance/colorimetric endpoint.

These assays can be used with primary, explanted cardiomyocytes from animals, ES- or iPS-derived cardiomyocytes or other cardiac cell lines. The assays provide the flexibility for the investigator to use their own growth medium and culture protocols.